Location: St. Augustine
Top Things to do in St. Augustine
10 Nature & Parks in St. Augustine That You Shouldn't Miss
Saint Augustine is a luxurious, romantic vacation spot—you’ll find classic hotels and intimate restaurants. Those can be a dime a dozen, though. What sets Saint Augustine apart is its history—it’s the oldest European settlement in the U.S. And nowhere else in the world can you taste the waters of the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park (where Ponce de Leon may have landed). Who knows, if you vacation here, maybe you won’t need that Botox!
Restaurants in St. Augustine
1. St. Augustine Wild Reserve
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2,026 reviews
The St. Augustine Wild Reserve offers tours by appointment on Mon, Wed, and Sat at 2pm. We also offer a VIP tour Friday at noon. Email to make reservations. Guests will be given a tour of the Reserve by a wildlife professional. An intro to each species & how the species arrived here will be discussed. Visitors will have a close-up view of the exotic animals, and will venture closer to adult lions and tigers than they ever imagined. Meet our amazing white tigers, orange tigers, golden tabby tiger, cougars, servals, lynxes, leopards, hyenas, & wolves. We feed all big cats on the tours, and set up a tiger bubblebath. It gets exciting when the big cats eat! You will also howl with the wolves at tour's end. We don't allow photography; we offer a photo flash drive for a small donation, as well as refrigerator magnets of our favorite animals. To book a tour, log onto bookeo.com/tigertours. Cost is $30/adults; kids 10 & under, $20.00; and kids 2 and under, free!
Reviewed By Go753066
We absolutely loved this!!!! They do amazing work with these animals. Delightful to see people who truly love animals and take such wonderful care of them. They give a fantastic tour with amazing information about all of their animals. A must see if you are in this area.
2. Sea Turtle Hospital at Whitney Lab
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By Debstoryteller - St. Augustine, United States
We took a tour of the turtle hospital. It was such a detailed tour including the operating room, feeding station and turtle rehab pools. The staff is doing an amazing job rescuing and helping the turtles. This was very informative and there was an interactive exhibit for children as well. It would be best for children 6 and older.
3. Fort Matanzas National Monument
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,076 reviews
This fort is on Rattlesnake Island and can be reached via ferry.
Reviewed By Whyme512 - Streetsboro, United States
Even though the dock had been washed away and we couldn’t get to the fort, the Park Ranger was very talkative and explained everything about the fort. He then explained about the critters and the plants in the area.
4. St. Augustine Inlet
5. St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,847 reviews
Reviewed By Photochic1 - Beaufort, United States
The Alligator Farm has lots and lots of alligators from the US and also from other countries. In spring and early summer there are also hundreds of birds making nests and making baby birds in the rear area of the Farm. You can see Roseate Spoonbills, Snowy Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Black-Crowned Night Herons, Yellow-Crowned Nigh Herons, Wood Storks, Egrets, White Ibises, Little Blue Herons, Green Herons and Great Blue Herons.
6. St. Augustine Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,573 reviews
Reviewed By 89vanessao
Soft white sand, the ocean looks and smells lovely, and there are areas where you can drive you car to the spot of your choice instead of having to lug all your gear from a public parking lot a quarter mile away.
7. Vilano Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 887 reviews
Reviewed By MB2thesea - St. Augustine, United States
The beaches near Vilano and up to Ponte Vedra are great for shelling and hunting for shark teeth. There aren't any lifeguards on duty, you'll need to be responsible for yourself and your family. If you go, please pick up your own trash - always leave it better than you found it.
8. Anastasia State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,306 reviews
Anastasia State Park includes 1,600 acres of rich ecosystems and abundant wildlife. Explore up to four miles of pristine beach, the estuarine tidal marsh teeming with plant and animal life, or the self-guided nature trail which takes you through the maritime hammock and onto ancient sand dunes. You can also visit the Coquina Quarry, an archaeological site where coquina rock was mined to help construct the nearby Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, earning it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. At Anastasia, there are many recreational activities to enjoy including hiking, swimming, beachcombing, bird watching, and much more. The campground contains 139 campsites all located within the beautiful maritime hammock and just a short walk or bike ride from the beach. Anastasia has concessions to provide guests with rental opportunities of bicycles, paddleboards, kayaks, sail boats and canoes. There is also a grill area and a small gift shop for visitors to take home an Anastasia memory. The grill location also provides Wi-Fi for visitors' use.
Reviewed By larryfN9747XC
We were camping outside St. Augustine and hadn't been able to get a site at this park but decided to stop by while spending the day in town. The ranger at the front gate was kind enough to give us a 15 min pass to drive through to see their campsites. The park has a nice spacing of sites; loops campsites large enough for larger rigs and smaller ones ideal for tent camping. They're bordered nicely with vegetation and most come with water and electric hook up. None of the sites are as close to the ocean as some other parks but you can still enjoy the beach via trails. You don't have to go into the park to enjoy some of its beauty. Outside, the old coquina quarry is accessible by a self-interpretive trail. This is a nice oceanside park.
9. Freedom Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 14 reviews
Reviewed By wakk0r - St. Augustine, United States
The Lincolnville Museum located at 102 MLK is really a great educational experience for the entire family. The exhibit encompasses the civil rights movement and the passions of a community that dates back to 1863. Worth the visit.
